Clark recently talked about ICE, “In Case of Emergency.” And so many people have been asking him about it, that he wanted to revisit the issue. The idea was developed by a paramedic in Britain because no one knows who to call when you’re injured or hurt. All you do is enter a list of emergency contacts under the letter “I” in your address list. Then, if you’re hanging on to life, these will people will be able to answer questions about your medical conditions and your wishes for organ donation and right to life.
When it comes to renovations, what should you do? When should you renovate and when should you leave it alone? Well, first of all, you should do renovations solely because you want to. Renovations do not make you money. Even the most successful improvements cost more than the amount of value it will bring to your home. If you do a kitchen renovation, for example, you’ll recoup 92 percent of your money. Bathrooms, you’ll make back 90 cents on the dollar. Other areas, you will make back much less. But you shouldn’t do renovations to make money, so it shouldn’t matter.
You’ve probably seen the ads all over Web sites and on TV for “Free Credit Reports.” Most of them are bogus and Experian, one of the three credit bureaus, recently got its wrist slapped for this very thing. Experian was offering “free credit reports online in seconds,” but the company was actually ripping people off for $79.95 each time. By opting for the “free report” people also signed up for an annual credit monitoring service. The company made off with about $80 million, but it’s only being fined about $1 million. That’s pathetic. There is only one legitimate site that offers free reports with no strings attached. It is annualcreditreport.com and it was designated by the federal government after the law making credit reports free went into effect. It started last year in the West, and effective Sept. 1, everyone in America will be able to get one credit report a year FOR FREE! In Georgia, people can see reports from each bureau twice a year. Shame on Experian for trying to dupe people, when the organization is supposed to be a legitimate credit bureau.
Inflation is becoming a problem again, with wholesale taking a 1 percent jump in the past month. There are also pressures happening in the price pipeline that will probably mean interest rates and inflation will go up again. In other words, interest rates on anything floating will continue to go up. And looking forward to next year, we could even have an economic slow down or recession. If you are not saving a thing, and these events do occur, you are going to be in trouble. First, stop borrowing money, which means no more plastic. Clark often recommends freezing your credit cards by putting them in a bag of water and putting them in the freezer. Then it’s really hard to thaw them out and use them. There are things you can control in life and things you can’t. For instance, you don’t have the power to change the course of the economy. But what happens in and outside your home can be controlled. It’s up to you.
Talk about “customer no service!” One Comcast cable customer recently called the company several times to ask questions about her bill and her service, with which she was not happy. Instead of doing something about it, the customer service worker changed her name in the system to a very vulgar term and mailed her a new bill. In the address window, the woman’s name had been changed. Take the word “witch” and put a “b” in front of it, then follow it with the word “Dog.” That is what she saw in the name slot on her next cable bill when it arrived at her home, according to the Chicago Tribune. The company didn’t respond at first, but is now taking responsibility for the malicious move on the part of its employee. The good news is that the subscription television industry is changing. Our choices have been limited to cable and satellite only thus far. But there is a new player in town called IPTV or Internet Protocol TV. The programs come from the telephone company through your phone line, and it’s starting first in Texas. Apparently, the picture is crystal clear and prices should be competitive.
A very small percentage of Americans have passports, because most only travel to nearby countries where they don’t need a passport. But because of terrorism concerns, you are going to have to get a passport if you’re going to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or on a cruise. As of December, you will need a little blue book to go on a cruise in the Caribbean or to go to the Caribbean, as it’s called. By December 2006, you’ll need one to go to Canada or Mexico. Yes, getting a passport is a hassle. You have to get two passport photos made first and you must present an original birth certificate. It’s not cheap and it takes about two or three weeks. But it opens up the world to you, and, more importantly, you have to do it if you want to travel. Clark hopes more members of Congress get out of the country more often, since they have to pass judgment on foreign affairs all the time.
